Take the innards, if any, out of the chicken. Cut off and remove any string. Place in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, skim any foam from the top, add other ingredients, bring back to a boil, then lower heat so that it's just barely simmering (no continous bubbles, probably just a tad above your lowest burner setting). Do not simmer or boil too vigorously or the broth will be quite cloudy.

Low simmer for four hours

Remove from heat. Strain (I strain through cheesecloth on top of a strainer). Remove any bits of herb or meat that are in the broth. Place in containers and freeze or can (broth should be canned in a pressure canner. If you don't have one freezing is the best option). Results in about 3 litres of broth. If you want to remove the fat, place the containers in the fridge for several hours. Then simply remove the cake of fat that congeals on the surface.

When meat/veggies are cooled sort through chicken and remove fat/skin and bones. Remove rosemary stem (the rosemary leaves/needles will have come off), peppercorns and celery stalks.

I pre-bake my bottom pie crust for better structural support. Other people don't, it's up to you. Follow directions with pie-crusts or pie-crust recipe.

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and whisk till it's combined and just starting to bubble. Slowly whisk in stock and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk until thickened. Add chicken meat and veggies to sauce. Place in pie crusts, cover with top crust (cutting two slits for ventilation), seal edges. Cook for 30-35 minutes at 425°F or until the pastry is a nice brown.

For a nice brown crust you can mix a little whipping cream with egg and brush on top.

I'm not sure I'd put in the rosemary, and maybe even not the garlic, for my use ... the broth may end up in some dish that wants neither.

I strain through a single layer of really cheap 1-ply paper towels in a strainer (no need to wash cheesecloth). If I have to do it twice, so what?

I agree with you about de-fatting in the refrigerator. Then I freeze.

I like to make it in the crockpot slow cooker. 12 hours or more on low and the stock is almost gelatinous, and after that if the bones don't almost powder when you touch one, they will in the disposal (again, why a big yucky cleanup?)

I'm not sure I'd put in the rosemary, and maybe even not the garlic, for my use ... the broth may end up in some dish that wants neither.

I strain through a single layer of really cheap 1-ply paper towels in a strainer (no need to wash cheesecloth). If I have to do it twice, so what?

I agree with you about de-fatting in the refrigerator. Then I freeze.

I like to make it in the crockpot slow cooker. 12 hours or more on low and the stock is almost gelatinous, and after that if the bones don't almost powder when you touch one, they will in the disposal (again, why a big yucky cleanup?)

I have never added rosemary to mine, but I do use the garlic. Not a huge amount, but a little bit.

I usually start in my huge stockpot for hours. Then I pull out some of the 'spent' stuff. By that point it is usually reduced enough to go into crockpots for anywhere from 4 - 12 hours longer, by which point it is gelatinous. I also use the 'cool in the fridge then remove fat' method. But I keep the fat for later cooking (mmmm-chicken fat). Of course, I save bacon grease too, so take that for what it is worth.

I usually freeze about half of mine and pressure can the rest. Which means that, if I am making chicken stock, I am probably making beef stock at the same time. If I am breaking out the pressure canner, I am doing BIG loads of stuff. :>

Logged

Lynn

"Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never dealt with a cat." Robert A. Heinlein

I add rosemary and garlic because...well I usually put both of those in almost everything I make anyway. Flavouring is always up to the person who makes it of course. I find the rosemary flavour isn't actually noticeable unless I use it to cook something that compliments that flavour but that's also a factor that's dependent on the person's taste-buds.

I would be hesitant to do the paper-towel just due to personal preference. Honestly I'm not a big fan of the throw-away paper product stuff. I've got some out of necessity, there are tasks that really do just require a paper-towel, but I prefer to go the wash/re-use route if possible.

We don't have a garbage disposal to toss soft bones into, and quite a few of the limited good memories I have of my childhood is sitting around and talking with my sisters while we sorted through the chicken meat. I do like the broth so thick it's practically jello (mmm rich), but personally I'm not adverse to a little of the 'yucky cleanup' thing.

Sidebar, if I may: cheap white terry "bar towels" or the like, sold by the dozen in many places (I've seen them at hardware stores, restaurant supply stores, even auto-parts stores) do SO many household cleanup jobs better than paper, better than assorted rags. Now if I can only get my wife to stop worrying about making them all sparkly-white again.

Someone posted this link in another forum, so I thought I would pass it on. It is one of the more detailed descriptions of stockmaking that I have seen online. Loads of photos and loads of explanation, description and directions.